Josh Coppins announced his impending retirement from top-level motocross a week ago and we thought that an appropriate time to remind his fans about his biography.

Josh: Flying Kiwi! – written and illustrated by BikesportNZ.com correspondent Andy McGechan – went on sale worldwide in 2008 and has been a steady seller since then.

The in-depth, pull-no-punches book about the Kiwi former MX1 world championship contender is still available from New Zealand publishers www.harpercollins.co.nz

There wouldn’t be many Kiwi sportsmen who could pick a glossy magazine from the shelf of any bookstore in Western Europe and see his own face grinning back at him from the cover.

But New Zealand’s Josh Coppins is one Kiwi who does fit that bill.

The man from Motueka has been one of the fastest motocross riders on the planet. Runner-up in the 2002 and 2005 world championships, Coppins would have been the undisputed 2007 world champion if not for a disastrous accident.

Josh Coppins has come a long way since his world championship debut event in 1993 and first full season in 1995. He steadily worked up through the world rankings to second place in 2002, riding for the Italian-based Vismara Honda team, but the latter stages of his recent career were dogged by injury.

His 2003 season was almost over before it began after a supercross smash left him in hospital, written off by medical experts. He proved them wrong and was back on the podium by the end of the season, salvaging a world ranking of 12th.

Racing a hefty 450cc four-stroke bike in MX1 for the first time in 2004, Coppins savoured his first GP win at the Isle of Wight in May, on his way to a world ranking of number three. A pre-season accident meant his 2006 season didn’t get off the ground until the year was halfway over, but he didn’t give up.

He showed the same determination towards the back end of the 2007 season, battling severe pain and a crippling injury whilst defending his dwindling lead in the world championship standings.

It’s been a roller-coaster ride to the top for Josh Coppins. His family made huge sacrifices financing his early years on the circuit and he’s fought off allegations of drugs cheating in a tough sport that is both physically and mentally demanding.

Coppins’ achievements over the years have been remarkable, all the more so because he comes from a country where motocross is very much a minority pursuit.

Josh: Flying Kiwi!, written by award-winning New Zealand journalist Andy McGechan and the first biography ever written about a Kiwi motocross rider, does just that.

A friend of Josh Coppins’ family, he has known Josh since his teens and had covered his rise to international stardom since the beginning. McGechan used to race motocross in his early twenties, competing at provincial and national levels.

The long-time newspaper journalist now dedicates himself exclusively to the motorcycle industry and writing for magazines. He is a frequent traveller and has photographed and written about his visits to world championship motocross events around the world.

For more information, click HERE